A Lesson not soon to be Forgotten
by Hopeless Romantic2
Summary: Sakura is having trouble with her math and Mr. Terada assigns Syaoran to be her tutor. Is Sakura's math grade the only thing that's going to change? Or will Syaoran gather the courage to tell her how he feels? S+S, of course! Hints of E+T. *FINISHED!!!***
1. Chp 1

Alrighty peoples! This is my first fan fic, so please Read and Review. I don't mind healthy criticism at all, but if you're going to tell me you hate my story, PLEASE give me a reason _why_ you hate it!!! 

I also want to say that I truly admire all you fanfiction authors out there. Writing a story is a heck of a lot harder than it looks, so good for you for being able to write such creative and enticing stories. I value _your_ opinions on my story most of all, so    R + R!! 

Also, this story takes place a few months after the 2nd movie, but Sakura hasn't realized she loves Syaoran yet and Syaoran hasn't confessed his feelings to her yet.

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura. If I did, I would be rich, and swimming in a huge indoor pool inside of my ten-story mansion. In truth, I don't even get allowance. So don't sue me. You wouldn't get much. *^_^

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Thoughts in italics 

                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   

A Lesson Not Soon to be Forgotten 

Chapter 1

_Another perfect spring day! _Thought Sakura happily as she bladed down the cherry tree lined sidewalk to her school. Her golden hair bounced in rhythm with her steady strides, and her sea-green eyes shone as she neared her elementary school. 

     "Hey, Sakura!" a friendly voice called from behind her. Sakura executed a perfect 360-degree spin to face her best friend. 

     "Hi Tomoyo!" she exclaimed brightly.

     "Hi." Tomoyo twirled a lock of her long dark hair around her finger as she smiled at her cheerful friend. "So, did you study for that math test yet, Sakura?" 

     Sakura groaned. "The math test? It's today?! I forgot all about it!"

     Sympathy sparkled in Tomoyo's amethyst eyes. "Well, I'm sure if you try your best you'll do just fine, Sakura. Don't worry about it."

     Sakura chewed the end of her pencil nervously as she tried to concentrate on her test. _Hoooeee… the radius of the circle is 3.5 cm, but then what's the diameter? Is it the radius multiplied by 3.14? No… wait… That can't be right…_

     Sakura sighed, discouraged.  Behind her, Syaoran gazed at the soft auburn hair cascading down her shoulders. He had long since finished HIS exam, since he was quite good at math. Whenever he finished early like this, he would spend his time staring longingly at Sakura. Syaoran brushed his messy chestnut hair out of his deep amber eyes. He felt a hot blush creep up his cheeks as he wished he could hold her in his arms and make all of her troubles go away. He knew Sakura often had trouble with math. As a matter of fact, he knew lots of things about Sakura. He knew that he was so in love with Sakura that sometimes he couldn't even see straight. He knew that with one smile, she could make his heart stop, his stomach somersault, his face redden, his tongue tangle, his brain get fuzzy—he could go on and on. But he also knew that she had no idea how he felt, and even if she did, she would never feel the same.

     Syaoran sighed hopelessly behind her. Sakura heard him and frowned.            

_I wonder why he's worried? _She thought mildly. _He's a whiz at math!_

Sakura cheerfully walked into her classroom full of chattering students the next day. "Good morning Tomoyo! Good morning Eriol! Good morning Syaoran!" she greeted her friends as she sat down. 

     "Good morning, Sakura!"  Eriol and Tomoyo said in unison. Syaoran just blushed and buried his face in the book he was holding. 

     " 'Morning, Sakura," He mumbled shyly.

     "Alright class, simmer down." Mr. Terada shouted over the chatter and noise of the classroom, which quickly died down. 

     "I'm going to hand back the math tests you wrote yesterday. I'm pleased to say that most of you did very well, but some of you could use a little work as far as your math skills are concerned. Mr. Terada started moving up and down the rows of desks, handing out the exams. As he reached Sakura's row, Sakura started fidgeting nervously.

     "Hoe," she said worriedly. "I hope I did alright…"

     "Don't worry, Sakura," Syaoran said quietly from behind her. She turned around in her seat to look at him, slightly surprised. "I'm… I'm sure you did just fine!" he said, not meeting her eyes.

     Sakura smiled a smile that seemed to light up the entire room. "Arigato, Syaoran!" Syaoran bushed deeply. 

     Noticing this, Sakura frowned. "Are you feeling all right, Syaoran?" she asked worriedly. "Your face is all red. Do you need to go to the school nurse?"

     Eriol grinned evilly.  "Oh, he's fine Sakura. He's just blush—" Syaoran silenced him with one of his most vicious death glares, which he always saved especially for Eriol.

     "I feel fine, Sakura. Don't worry abou—" Syaoran stopped in mid-sentence as he felt Sakura's delicate, cool, hand on his forehead.

     "You don't _seem_ to have a fever," she said, peering anxiously into Syaoran's eyes, oblivious to the real reason behind Syaoran's flushed face.

     If possible, Syaoran turned even redder than he already was.

     "Okay, you four," Mr. Terada said as he approached them and started to hand them their test results. "Tomoyo…not bad, not bad at all, Eriol…good work; keep it up, Syaoran… excellent, as usual, and Sakura…" he looked down at Sakura seriously. "Sakura, you've got to do a little better if you want a decent grade this semester." He cautioned, handing her a paper. 

     She glanced at it anxiously… a 60%.   "I think that we should assign you a tutor, Sakura."

     "A tutor?" Sakura repeated blankly.

     "Yes. Let's see, how… about…" Mr. Terada's eyes scanned the classroom for possible candidates. "I know!" he announced brightly, clapping a hand on Syaoran's shoulder. 

     "Syaoran will make an excellent tutor." Syaoran's face turned as red as Tomoyo's nail polish. Sakura looked at him and grinned. 

     "Sounds great! Is that alright with you, Syaoran?" 

     "Me?" he choked, "I… uh… I mean…"

     "Oh, don't worry Syaoran," Tomoyo said in a sugary sweet voice. "If _you_ don't want to tutor Sakura, I'm sure Eriol would be happy to." Eriol nodded innocently. 

     "It would be my pleasure," He said with a sly smile.

     "NO!!!!" Syaoran yelled immediately, practically jumping out of his seat. Sakura looked at him in surprise.

 "I-I'll tutor you Sakura." He said, blushing furiously.

     "Oh! Okay then, Syaoran. Arigato!" She flashed him another dazzling smile. Eriol and Tomoyo exchanged knowing glances and grinned mischievously.

     "Would it be alright if you popped over to my house around 3:00 tomorrow, Syaoran?" Sakura asked him.

"Oh, yeah. Sure." Syaoran muttered.

     To Syaoran, it seemed that math had suddenly gotten a whole lot harder.

                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well? Good? Bad? Really bad? Sickening? I hope not. Keep in mind that this _is _my first fic, and to please give me tips/ ideas/ advice when you Review. 

Tell me if you want me to continue. 

Please tell if me if I spelt any of my Japanese wrong. 

Also, how do you say YES? NO? GOOD MORNING? GOODBYE? Please help me! 

Thx a bunch!  ^_^ 

                                                                        ****


	2. chp 2

Hello again! I tried to make this story funny…. But my brain feels dead. Oh well!

I feel suicidal today because I have so much homework! It's so unfair. *sniff* R+R!

Disclaimer: I don't own cardcaptor sakura. I own nothing. Not even a single piece of lint, but I guess I really wouldn't want that anyways.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

_~~Thoughts in Italics~~_

A Lesson not soon to be Forgotten 

Chapter 2

*That day, After School*

    Syaoran walked through the schoolyard after school that day. _Why, _he thought angrily, _does everything happen to me?_ He glared up at the cloudless blue sky. _Do you WANT to see me make a fool of myself in front of the most perfect girl in the world, God? Do you really want to see me turn into a blushing, stuttering idiot every time I get near her? Do you really want to see me trip over my own feet, or_—

    "Mmmpph"

    "Oooooophhhhhh"

    Syaoran felt himself collide with another body. Glancing in front of him to see whom he had hit, he groaned. Just his luck—to run into Eriol when he _really_ wasn't in the mood for torture. 

(A/N: surprised you there, didn't I? No, it _wasn't_ Sakura!)

    "You!" Syaoran spat. Eriol smiled calmly. "Hello, descendant. You don't sound pleased to see me, for some reason. Looking forward to your study session with Sakura?"

    "You planned this, didn't you, Eriol? You used your magic to somehow tamper with Mr. Terada's mind so he'd pick _me _to tutor Sakura, or you made sure that Sakura got a bad grade on that exam, or, or—you did something, I know it! Admit it!" said Syaoran furiously. 

    Eriol looked at Syaoran innocently. "Syaoran, I'm surprised at you. How could you ever even _suspect_ me of doing such a _hideous, cruel, malicious_ deed to you? I'm hurt." Eriol's eyes twinkled.

    "You _will_ be hurt soon if you don't get out of my face," Syaoran growled at him.

    "Besides," Eriol continued, as if he hadn't heard Syaoran, "you should be happy. You can finally spend a few hours alone with the angel of your dreams." Eriol glanced at a spot behind Syaoran and chuckled. "Speak of the devil, Sakura! We were just talking about you!"

    Syaoran spun around, and found himself face-to-face with Sakura.

    "Hi, Syaoran!" she said sweetly. Syaoran, who was so surprised by finding himself so breathtakingly close to Sakura, unfortunately lost his balance at that particular moment. He toppled onto Sakura, and sent them both crashing into the ground. Syaoran groaned. _This cannot be happening. _He opened his eyes and found a pair of amused green emeralds looking back up at him.

    Sakura giggled. "Are you all right, Syaoran?"

    "Errrr… I'm fine." He stuttered. He then realized he was in a rather awkward position—he was lying on top of Sakura. He immediately leapt to his feet, looking like more of a tomato than anything. He offered his hand to Sakura and asked her if she was alright when he noticed a glassy black camera lens and a tiny, flashing red light sticking out from amongst the bushes. The torture instrument from hell. 

    "Tomoyo!!" Syaoran and Sakura called out simultaneously.

    "Can you _not_ film anything for at least ten minutes?" Syaoran hissed. They heard a high-pitched giggle and Tomoyo emerged from the shrubbery, starry-eyed. "Oooooooohhhh! But Syaoran, that was _so_ _kawaii_! I mean, you're _still_ holding hands!" They both immediately dropped their hands to their sides. 

    "Oh, and Sakura, I was wondering if I could make you a costume for your tutoring session with Syaoran! I have some super designs!" 

    Sakura sweat dropped. "Errrrr…no, Tomoyo." Tomoyo pouted, obviously disappointed.

    "Anyway, Syaoran," Sakura said glancing at Syaoran," I came to ask you if we were still on for tomorrow. Three o'clock at my house, right?"

    Syaoran managed to give her a tiny smile. "Yeah, sounds good."

    Sakura's face lit up. "Great! Well, I'll be heading home now." She turned to leave but stopped and faced Syaoran. "And by the way, Syaoran, you have a beautiful smile. You should do it more often." With that, she skipped away cheerfully.

     Syaoran's face blushed so red that Eriol and Tomoyo could almost feel the heat radiating from him.

    "If you want to score some points with the girl you love, you'd better go walk her home, Syaoran," Tomoyo advised him.

    Syaoran's jaw dropped. Was he _that_ obvious? "I_—_I don't… _love_ Sakura!" he lied awkwardly, but he could see that Tomoyo didn't believe him.

    Eriol smiled smugly. "_Sure_ you don't, little wolf. That's exactly why your face looks like a tomato every time she smiles at you." Syaoran glared daggers at him. "Well, I'll see you around." Eriol kissed Tomoyo on the hand and whispered something into her ear, which made her giggle and blush. He looked at Syaoran.

    "Have fun tomorrow, Syaoran…. but not _too_ much fun." And he disappeared in the blink of an eye, and just before Syaoran could strangle him.

    "Bye Syaoran. Remember: tell her how you feel, or she'll never know." Tomoyo smiled loftily at him and walked away.

    _As much as I hate her boyfriend and her damned camera, she does have a point,_ Syaoran thought to himself sadly. _I have to tell her sooner or later. She's not going to stay waiting for me forever. Tomorrow,_ he swallowed. _I will tell her_. 

Syaoran started walking to his apartment, wild ideas chasing each other around his head on how to confess his love to Sakura_. Should I bring a gift, or something?_ He thought to himself. _No, I don't want to make her feel like it's a date, it might freak her out… Should I dress formal? Casual? _

    Not paying much attention to where he was going, Syaoran soon found himself in front of Sakura's house. He stood there for a moment, feeling content just being at least somewhat close to Sakura's happy, bubbly, pink aura. Syaoran, along with the rest of the neighbourhood, suddenly heard Touya's screams of rage from inside the house. 

      "_WHAAAAAAAAAAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'SYAORAN'S COMING OVER TOMMORROW?' "_

There was a brief silence, then, "_TUTORING YOU?! I DON"T CARE! THAT CHINESE GAKI IS NOT STEPPING FOOT INSIDE THIS HOUSE!!" _Syaoran could almost see the house shaking from Touya's angry bellows.

    He winced. How could he have forgotten? Along with everything else that he was going to have to endure tomorrow, he had to deal with Touya, too. Syaoran sighed, and headed back to his apartment.

 Tutoring Sakura was going to be a lot harder than he had anticipated.

Well? Tell me what you think. Think that I should continue, or just stop while I'm ahead? 

I'm running out of ideas! Help me out. Also, I need to sharpen up on my Japanese… how do you say hello? Goodbye? Yes? No? 

Plz tell me!!  

R+R!!!!!

P.S. it might take me a while to put up the next chapter. Be patient, I assure you that it will be within the next year! J


	3. Chp 3

OH MY GOD!!!!! 

I just checked my reviews for the first time.

I can't believe it! I have 12 whole reviews!! That means People ACTUALLY READ MY STORY! AND WHAT"S MORE, THEY ACTUALLY **LIKED** IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Hopeless romantic faints from shock*

Wow. I'm touched. Thx to all those who gave me such nice reviews. I luv you all!!!! You make me feel warm + fuzzy inside. I really appreciate it.

I also know some Japanese now, thanks to Satsuko, Fantasy, and Ly the werewolf.

Hai=yes

Iie=no

Ohayu=hello

Ja ne=goodbye

Arigato=thank you

Baka/ gaki=brat

Onichan=brother (I think  -_-`)

Gomen=sorry (I think -_-`)

-Also, I was talking to a friend of mine, who got her story copied without permission by some jerk, and put under their own name. I felt awful for her. I just want you to know that IF ANYONE COPIES ANY PART OF MY STORY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, I WILL TRACK YOU DOWN, REPORT YOU, AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE THROWN OFF FANFICTION.NET. DON'T MESS WITH ME. 

Disclaimer: I don't own cardcaptor sakura, obviously, or I wouldn't be spending my time writing fanfics on the net, would I? I would be hiring bodyguards to protect me from my anime-crazy fans, and buying a game cube so I could play super smash bros melee (great game! =D)

Thoughts in italics 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Lesson not soon to be Forgotten

Chapter 3 

        Syaoran stood nervously outside of Sakura's front door the next afternoon, debating with himself on whether to ring the doorbell, or to knock. He knew that this afternoon was going to be full of opportunities for him to mess up in front of Sakura or to leave a bad impression.

      "Here goes," he muttered under his breath. Just as he was reaching up to ring the doorbell, the door swung open. "Ohayu Sa—" Syaoran glanced up to see Touya's face sneering down at him.

      "There is no Sakura here. You must have the wrong address, gaki." Touya glared down at Syaoran. Syaoran shot him his trademark death glare in return. 

      He heard Sakura's melodic voice from inside the house. "Onichan, let Syaoran in!" Never removing his sight from Syaoran, Touya called to Sakura.

      "Syaoran? Syaoran isn't here. It's just a pesky salesman." With that, he slammed the door shut in Syaoran's face. A few moments later, the door opened once again, this time revealing an out-of-breath Sakura. 

      "Sorry about that, Syaoran!" she said, smiling brilliantly at him. Syaoran felt his face heat up. "C'mon in." She led him to the living room, where a purple-faced Touya sat on a sofa. "Errr…Touya," Sakura said cautiously, "we're going to work on our math now." Touya grunted, glaring at Syaoran suspiciously. "Soooo…. can you… leave?" Touya rose silently and proceeded out the door.

      "I'll be watching you, baka. Touch my sister, and you'll die." He threatened under his breath as he passed Syaoran. Syaoran stopped himself from making a scathing remark for Sakura's sake. 

      "Hooooeee…" Sakura sighed hopelessly. "Gomen ne, Syaoran. Touya's a little…" She paused, searching for the right words. "Over-protective. Do you want something to drink?"

      "No thanks. We should get to the math."

      "Hai. You're right." Sakura's eyes sparkled warmly. "Thanks again for coming over, Syaoran. You didn't have to help me, but you did. I really appreciate it."

      Syaoran's face flushed. "No problem, Sakura."

*An hour later*

      "So the Pythagoras Theory only works on right angled triangles. The hypotenuse—that's the longer side of the triangle—is always referred to as C squared, and the other sides as A squared and B squared. Do you understand, Sakura?"

      Sakura bit her lip, trying to digest all this new information. After a moment, she smiled at Syaoran. "Hai, I think I've got it now. Can you give me a few problems to try and solve?"

      "Sure," He said, passing her a worksheet. Syaoran watched Sakura lovingly as she bent over the sheet. She pushed a strand of her golden honey-coloured hair out of her deep, tender eyes, as her brow furrowed in concentration. Syaoran felt his heart melt into a watery puddle, and smiled to himself. _I love you so much Sakura_. _I promise, I'll tell you how I feel before I leave today._

      "Syaoran?" Sakura's musical voice woke him up from his daydream. "I finished."

      Syaoran's auburn eyes quickly scanned her sheet. "Congratulations, Sakura. You're a quick learner. You got them all right!"

      "Really? That's great!" Syaoran glanced at her beaming face. It was contagious. He allowed himself a smile.

      Sakura and Syaoran suddenly heard a low, grumbling sound. Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What was that?" 

      Syaoran blushed and clutched his stomach embarrassedly. "Ummm… I kind of skipped out on breakfast. Sorry." 

      Sakura giggled good-naturedly and gave Syaoran a reassuring smile. "We can fix that. I've got a cake I can pop into the oven. It'll be ready in no time."

      "Arigato. That would be great."

      Sakura stood up. "I'll be right back,"She said, and went into the kitchen. Syaoran remained seated on the couch, and closed his eyes wearily. He had made up his mind. As soon as Sakura returned from the kitchen, he would tell her that she was the light of his life; the one who could always make him smile; make him laugh. She was the one person that made life worth living for Syaoran, and made him believe that true love _did_ exist. But how would she respond?

      "Oh Sakura…" he murmured softly.

      "Yes, Syaoran?" Syaoran jumped at the sound of Sakura's voice. She had already returned from the kitchen without Syaoran noticing, and was now looking at him quizzically.

      "Errrrr… do… you want to try some more math problems?" he stuttered quickly, his face reddening. 

      "Sure," she said, smiling at him. After she had finished the math questions correctly and received Sayoran's praise, Syaoran took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. 

      "S-sakura?" he inquired apprehensively.

      "Yes?" Sakura replied, turning in her seat to face Syaoran.

      "I…uh…I've been meaning…to tell you…that I …uh…I—"

      DDDDDDDDDDDIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!

      "_Hoe_!" Sakura squealed with a start. "Gomen Syaoran, that must be the oven timer. I'll go get the cake. It'll just take a second." With that, she rushed off to the kitchen.

      Syaoran sighed. _So close, and yet so far away. She must think I'm an idiot now_, he thought to himself ruefully. _I sound so dumb when I stutter. Oh well. At least I tried to tell her… maybe it's an omen that I should just leave it today and try again some other time_, he said to himself. 

      'No way!' A voice in the back of his head that sounded remarkably like Jiminy Cricket told him. 'You're not leaving today until you tell her how you feel! You love Sakura, and you can't hide it anymore!'

      _I must be going crazy…_ he told the little voice in his head. _Not only am I talking to myself, but I'm answering myself as well. _Syaoran groaned inwardly_._

      "Hey Syaoran! Would you like some cake?" Sakura emerged from the kitchen, carrying two plates of strawberry shortcake. 

      Syaoran grinned at her. "I'd love some. It smells delicious," he added, accepting a piece of cake gratefully. He took a bite. Sweetness filled his mouth at once, and he savoured it blissfully.

      "Wow, Sakura," he said once he had finished. "That was amazing. I didn't know you could cook so well!"

      Sakura's cheeks were tinged with pink from Syaoran's kind compliments. "Arigato gozaimasu, Syaoran!" she said happily. 

      He carefully put down his plate. "Sakura, there's something I've got to tell you." Syaoran said quietly, his face glowing scarlet.

      Sakura gave him a questioning look. "Hai, Syaoran?"

      Syaoran gulped. "You see, Sakura, I…well, the truth is…that… Sakura, I—"

      "CCCCCCAAAAAAAKKKKKEEEEE!!!!!!  Yaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!!!"

      Syaoran and Sakura jumped up in surprise as a fuzzy yellow creature resembling a stuffed toy hurtled towards them.

      "Kero!!" they shouted angrily. 

      Syaoran glared with intense dislike at the sugar-obsessed guardian beast he unfortunately knew so well. _One interruption after another_, he thought to himself bitterly. _I'll never get around to telling her at the rate we're going._

Kero's small black eyes darted back and forth across the room excitedly. "Sakura! I came down as soon as I smelt the delicious aroma of strawberry shortcake! 

      So where-is-it-where-is-it-where-is-it-where—" Kero suddenly noticed Syaoran and frowned. "Heeeey…why's the kid here?" he asked suspiciously, wearing a look identical to Touya's.

      "Stupid stuffed animal," Syaoran muttered. Enraged, Kero glared at Syaoran. "Wanna say that again to my face, baka?" he challenged.

      "Syaoran is tutoring me, Kero," Sakura explained impatiently, obviously disapproving of Kero's sudden interruption.

      But Kero didn't hear her. He glanced from Syaoran, to the empty plate in front of him, then back to Syaoran, and then back to the empty plate. Syaoran could almost see the cogs working inside Kero's head as he made the obvious connection. Kero gasped in shock.

      "YOU…ATE CAKE…? _MY_ CAKE??!!" Kero bellowed. Syaoran winced and covered his ears gingerly. It was amazing that such a loud yell could come from such a little creature.

      "HOW COULD YOU LET… _HIM…_ EAT _MY_ CAKE, SAKURA?! HOW COULD YOU??" Kero burst out, sobbing uncontrollably. 

      Sakura sighed, irritated. "Kero, we didn't eat _all _the cake. I left some for—"

      "HAVEN'T I BEEN A GOOD GUARDIAN BEAST FOR YOU, SAKURA?? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS? I—"

      "_KERO_! There is a piece of cake for you in the kitchen!" Sakura snapped heatedly. It was one of the few times that Syaoran had heard Sakura raise her voice. 

      Kero's tears stopped immediately and he went starry-eyed. "Really?! Thanks, Sakura!" and he flew into the kitchen cheerfully, completely oblivious to his temper tantrum.

      Syaoran stared after him, his mouth agape. How does Sakura put up with him? He thought, appalled. 

      Sakura looked after Kero with an exasperated, yet fond smile. "Gomen again, Syaoran," Sakura apologized wearily, but giving Syaoran a breathtaking smile nonetheless. "What were you going to tell me?"

      Syaoran glanced at the kitchen to make sure that Kero was out of earshot. He then turned to Sakura, his face painted crimson. "Sakura…I…I…I lo—"

      "Alright you Chinese gaki, you are sitting WAY TOO CLOSE to Sakura!" 

      Syaoran whipped around and saw Touya's snarling face two inches from his own.

      "Touya, go away!" Sakura said, her hands on her hips.

      "Sakura, _look_ at this gaki!" Touya exploded furiously. "Remember when he tried to hurt you when he first came here? I saw it with my own two eyes! And," he said condemningly, pointing an accusing finger at Syaoran, "I bet he's just trying to hurt you again!"

      Sakura looked at Touya in disbelief. "Look Touya, I don't know what you're talking about! Firstly, Syaoran is _not_ a gaki. Secondly, we might not have been very close in the beginning, but Syaoran and I are great friends now. Thirdly, I know that Syaoran would never do anything to harm me. He's always looking out for me. So leave him alone!"  

      Syaoran gazed at Sakura, touched by her care and faith in him, and for defending him against Touya.

      "Fine."

      Syaoran could tell that by Touya's tone of voice, he did not believe Sakura in the least.

      "I just came to tell you that I'm going to Yukito's house for a while to work on a homework assignment." He glared at Syaoran. "So don't try any _funny_ business while I'm gone, baka." And with that, he strolled out the door.

      Sakura turned to Syaoran, and he was stunned to see her close to tears. "I'm so sorry, Syaoran. You've been so kind and thoughtful to come over and help me, and all you do is get yelled at. Gomen ne for putting you through all this."

      Syaoran touched her arm gently. "Sakura, it's not your fault. It doesn't even matter. It was all worth it, because I got to spend time with you." Syaoran spoke from his heart, and from his powerful feelings for Sakura.

      Sakura gazed at him, a little surprised by his beautiful words, but then smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you Syaoran. You're such a wonderful friend to me."

      Syaoran winced. A friend… was that all he was to her? He'd soon find out.

      "So anyway," she said lightly, "what were you saying before Touya barged in?"

      Syaoran looked at Sakura, who was waiting expectantly for his answer. One glance at her creamy white skin, flowing honey hair, and dancing emerald eyes, always full of life, was all the encouragement that Syaoran needed to tell her how he felt. It was now or never. He didn't feel as nervous as before, for some reason. He swallowed.

      "Sakura, I love you." 

Oooooooooohh!! Cliff hanger!  I'm sorry to those who really hate cliff hangers, but personally, I love them! They keep you, the reader, wanting more, right?!

Well? Whatja think? R+R! ** Give me ideas!!!!! **

I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, but I'm a really, really slow typer. Please have pity on me!

Ciao!!


	4. Chapter 4

Howdy chaps!

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!! I now know that "ohayu" is NOT hello! It's "Good morning". Thank you for helping me to be aware of this fact. I'm also sorry that it took me so very long to update. 

(Writer's block) 

As for the cliffhanger? Well, you'll just have to live with that! I'm sooooo evil! 

BWAH HA HHA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    *Hopeless romantic laughs insanely* 

Poor darling Syaoran. Don't worry, fans. I wouldn't let him suffer—for too long, anyway. I love him far too much!

Any who, here is the FINAL chapter of my first fanfiction. Thanks so much for all your splendid reviews. To know that others enjoy my work is a sensational feeling!

Enjoy! R+R!

PREVIOUSLY, ON THE LAST EPISODE OF "DRAGON BALL Z!!!" OOOOPPPPPSS…. Heheheh. I watch FAR too much DBZ! Sry. -_-`

PREVIOSLY, ON THE LAST EPISODE OF "A LESSON NOT SOON TO BE FORGOTTEN!"

       _Syaoran swallowed. "Sakura, I love you!!"_

A Lesson Not Soon to be Forgotten

Chapter 4

       Syaoran swallowed. "Sakura, I love you!" he burst out. There was dead silence. Sakura's jaw dropped, and she stared at Syaoran, shocked. She couldn't believe her ears.

       "Wh—what?" she whispered, thinking perhaps she had misheard him.

       Syaoran gazed into her unbelieving eyes. "Sakura Kinomoto, I love you more than anything in existence, I love you more than life itself. You are my reason for living," He said gravely, his eyes searching her face for a reaction. 

       But Sakura said nothing. She simply stared at him, open-mouthed, and caught completely unaware of his affections. Sakura couldn't believe it—how could _Syaoran Li_, the soon-to-be leader of the Li clan, the boy who had despised her for so long since his arrival in Tomoeda, her competitor for the Clow cards, and now one of her closest friends—be in love with _her_? She was speechless.

       "Please say something," Syaoran begged hoarsely. But her silence stirred pain in Syaoran's deep amber eyes, and he felt his heart tear into a million pieces. He quietly rose from his seat and went out the door, closing it softly beside him. Sakura didn't try to stop him. She sat unmoving, still staring at the spot where Syaoran had been. If she had looked at Syaoran's face while he was leaving, she would have seen a single tear slide down his cheek.

       Syaoran walked alone down the street, his eyesight blurred with tears. _Don't cry_, he scolded himself. _Crying shows weakness, according to the clan_. He had told Sakura that rule of the clan once, and she had looked at him in great surprise. _"_Weakness?" she had said, frowning. "Crying doesn't show weakness. It shows compassion. It shows feeling. It shows emotion, and care."

       "Care," Syaoran murmured. He had just tried to tell Sakura exactly how deeply he cared for her, but it was obvious that she didn't feel the same. 'Well, she didn't say that she _didn't_ love you,' that little voice in the back of his head reminded him. _Sure_, Syaoran thought bitterly, _but she didn't say anything else either._

       Syaoran tried to decide what he should do next. The only reason he had stayed in Tomoeda, really, was for Sakura. So what should he do now? Go back to Hong Kong? What was waiting for him there? The Clan, his mother, Meilin. Still, it would probably be the best decision, but something in his heart was against it. His head said yes. His heart said no. 

       Syaoran glanced in front of him and found himself standing in front of the swings at the park. He smiled sadly. This was the place where he and Sakura had grown so much closer so many times. He had a cherished reminiscence of the time when he had comforted Sakura after she confessed her crush to Yukito. Yukito had told Sakura that the love she felt for him was the same as that she felt for her brother or father. Afterwards, Syaoran went to the park with Sakura, who was in tears. It broke Syaoran's heart to see her in so much pain. _I know how she must have felt, now_. Syaoran thought. He remembered embracing her, calming her gently. It had been bliss, holding Sakura in his arms, smelling the fresh, summery scent of her hair. It felt so… right. He would never forget it as long as he lived. 

       He then realized why he couldn't go back to Hong Kong. Even though Sakura didn't love him, he knew that he would _always_ be head-over-heals in love with her. He knew no matter how hard he could try to forget Sakura, to move on, he would never be able to. He would always love Sakura, and there was nothing anybody could ever do to change that. Syaoran knew that he always wanted to be there for Sakura; he always wanted to be the one she could turn to. He _wanted _to be around her. _And if that means staying in Tomoeda, then so be it!_ Syaoran thought determinedly. _I will never give up on you, Sakura. Never._ He sat down upon the rotting wood of the old swing set and began swing slowly back and forth. 

Sakura lay sprawled across her bed, her face buried in her pillow. Like everything else in her room, the pillow was a soft pink hue, but at the moment was soaked with tears. She was still in shock over what Syaoran had told her. Syaoran—was in _love_ with her. _That explains why he always blushes around me_, Sakura concluded sadly. But the question was: did Sakura love Syaoran? She pictured Syaoran in her mind—_messy, even unruly, chestnut hair, a rarely occurring, but heart-melting smile, and,_ Sakura had to admit, _the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen_. They were a deep amber colour, and full of wisdom. They had a certain strength and power to them, but at the same time unmistakeable kindness and warmth. Sakura had never seen those eyes show so much pain as they did today. It crushed her to see Syaoran like that. Sakura suddenly started to cry. 

       "I'm so sorry, Syaoran," she sobbed into her pillow, "but I just…don't know how I really feel." She knew that she definitely felt something in her heart for Syaoran that was much deeper than just friendship, but was it love? Sakura rose silently from her bed and walked over to her desk. She shuffled through a drawer, obviously looking for something. 

       "Here it is," she murmured softly. She held a black videotape that Madison had recorded of Sakura's card captures. She popped it into the VCR and watched the television screen intently. Pictures of Syaoran and Sakura flashed across the screen. Syaoran was there every capture, fighting alongside Sakura, shouting encouragement and bits of advice. He had saved her life countless times, and Sakura knew that she could have never captured all the cards without Syaoran. 

       Sakura fondly recalled the time when Eriol had trapped them in an elevator shaft together. She had started to cry over the seemingly hopeless situation, but Syaoran comforted her, and assured her that everything would be all right. She stopped crying. They spent hours trapped in the elevator together, waiting for someone to rescue them. They had sat on Sakura's handkerchief and shared a few cookies. Suddenly, the elevator started to move, and Sakura had stood up, excited. An unexpected lurch from the elevator had sent Sakura flying backwards into the wall, which, thanks to Eriol's trickery, had disappeared. Syaoran desperately tried to catch her hand before she fell out of the elevator, but couldn't reach her in time. Sakura tumbled down the black pit where the wall used to be. Horrified, devastated, and struggling not to cry, Syaoran had screamed out Sakura's name into the blackness. Luckily, Sakura had transformed the float card to save herself, and Syaoran, so relived to see Sakura safe, had embraced Sakura lovingly.

        Sakura felt something stir in her heart when Syaoran held her that day. It was a feeling she had never felt before. She was surprised that Syaoran had been so worried for her safety. Syaoran usually showed very little emotion towards others. Even remembering his warm touch made shivers run up and down her spine.

       That touching memory was all Sakura needed to finally recognize her feelings for Syaoran.

       She loved him.

       With tears in her eyes, she smiled. "Yes, Syaoran. My answer is yes. I love you too!" Sakura cried out, wanting the world to know how she felt.

       _I've got to tell him_, Sakura said to herself. _I've got to tell him how much I love him_. Sakura suddenly realized she didn't have a clue where to find him. _What if he left Tomoeda?_ She panicked, _What if he went back to Hong Kong?! _Sakura breathed deeply, trying to relax. There was only one way to find Syaoran's location—her magic. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard on Syaoran's face and his strong green aura. She caught a fleeting vision of Syaoran at the old swing set, looking disappointed, forlorn, and lonely. 

       "Oh Syaoran," she whispered affectionately. "I'm sorry for putting you through all this, but I'm coming now." With that, she rushed out the door.

       Syaoran was still at the park when he heard someone approaching him. Glancing up, he saw Sakura. Her soft hair was blowing gently with the wind, and her normally rosy cheeks were tear stained. She was gazing at Syaoran with an expression that he couldn't read. He felt mixed feelings at seeing her. The familiar and joyous leap of his heart at seeing her lovely face, and the pain he felt just an hour ago reawakened. _She's probably here to try and discourage my feelings for her, to tell me that she doesn't feel the same way for me_, Syaoran thought sadly. He rose silently from the swing as Sakura walked towards him. 

       They stood before each other, each gazing into the other's eyes, achingly. "Syaoran," Sakura whispered, her eyes glistening with tears, "I'm sorry for hurting you so, but now there's something I have to tell you. I—" 

       "Ssssshhhh…." Syaoran interrupted, bringing a gentle finger to her lips. "Please Sakura, before you say anything, let me tell you that I will never regret having met you. You helped me to see what a selfish, cold person I was. You changed me. For that, I am forever grateful to you. I want you to know that I'll always be here for you." He swallowed, bracing himself for the disappointment he was certain would come next. "I apologize for interrupting you. Please continue."

       Sakura smiled at him, moved by his beautiful words, and her heart hammering. She controlled the urge she had to throw her arms around him. Now it was Sakura's turn to blush, as she tried to confess her feelings to Syaoran.

       "Syaoran," she said again, gazing determinedly into his rich amber eyes, "I love you."

       _That_ caught Syaoran completely off guard. The expression on his face was identical to how Sakura looked an hour ago…. shocked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _Sakura loved him! _The most perfect angel in the world loved _him_. He loved her, and she loved him back. This was too good to be true. He simply gazed at Sakura's beautiful face; feeling like his heart would burst with all the love that he felt for her.

       Misinterpreting Syaoran's silence, Sakura's face fell, and she felt her heart shatter. _Oh God_, she thought, pained, _I've distressed his heart too much. He doesn't love me any more_. Tears streaming down her face, she turned to leave. But a strong hand caught her wrist and held her back.  She turned to face Syaoran, and saw that he was smiling at her lovingly. 

       "Oh Sakura," he said gently, "All I've ever wanted was to hear you say those words. I love you more than words can say."

Sakura's eyes danced with happiness. She threw her arms around Syaoran and embraced him warmly. As Syaoran held her tightly in his arms, he felt a warm, heavenly feeling spread through his heart, and somehow felt… complete. He found himself wishing that he would never have to let Sakura go.

       Finally, Syaoran tilted her face to his, and they shared their first, sweet kiss.

       He felt that at last, everything was just perfect.

                             **********************THE END**********************

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!       *Sigh* I'm far too sappy. 

Isn't Syaoran the most perfect guy in the world? Beside the fact he's not real. Damn. I have no luck with love. Anywho, tell me whatja think! Stinky? Sappy? Superb? Should I do a sequel? 

So long for now! R+R!!!!

                                                          _Sincerely, _

_                                                                             Hopeless Romantic_


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